Covered Bridges (Heritage Week)

This post is the first in a series I'll be doing during New Brunswick Heritage Week, starting today, the 10th of February 2014, until the 17th. One of the most iconic symbols of New Brunswick is the covered bridge. You'll see it on advertisements; you'll hear people talking about it; heck, there's even a snack food named for it. Covered bridges dart the province's countryside, often pointed out by a small blue sign on the highway, and frequently bringing you to a nice, secluded landscape. For this first in a series of NB heritage posts, I decided to talk about a few of the covered bridges that I know of in NB. I should note that I stuck to three of my favourites, all for different reasons. There are many covered bridges in NB and staff at tourist centres would be happy to help you find one near where you're staying. New Brunswick's most famous covered bridge is located in Heartland, Carleton County, and was once featured on the google doodle! Handy to the City: Rusagonis Covered Bridge near Fredericton If you find yourself in the Fredericton area, there's a covered bridge no more than 40 minutes from town, in a pretty area called Rusagonis. This was my first covered bridge, to my memory, and was an exciting find. If you're passing through Fredericton but would like to get to see a quintessential covered bridge, this is a good option. It's a little tough to find; luckily, if you follow the exit for Rusagonis and Geary off the TransCanada (Highway 2), you'll find a NB Tourism information centre located inside the Irving, where they should be able to explain the directions a little better than I would. There's also signage indicating the covered bridge. Best Secluded Covered Bridge: Nelson Hollow Through all of my travels in NB, Nelson Hollow covered bridge is one of my favourite discoveries. Located off of Highway 8 just south of Doaktown, look carefully for the sign indicating a covered bridge-it's easily missed. The steep dirt road may be hard on some vehicles, and the bridge is more of a pedestrian one than a road one, so you might prefer to park at the top and walk down. The covered bridge itself is in a pretty little location, surrounded by trees and near the edge of the river. On either side of the water crossed by the covered bridge, there's also the skeleton of another, larger bridge which once spanned the same water.

Great for a quick stop: Covered Bridge Visitors Centre If you're driving along the TransCanada between Moncton and Fredericton, consider stopping at the Covered Bridge VIC. Here, you'll find a a visitor's centre built in the shape of a covered bridge, complete with information, washrooms (which have won awards online), and a gift shop. This is the perfect opportunity to see a covered bridge if you don't have the time to take a trip out to one, and is located very close to the main highway. The centre is a non-for-profit and accepts donations. Find out more here http://coveredbridgevic.com/aboutus.htm

Did I really say there was a snackfood? Yes! Covered Bridge Potato Chips are a delicious, and quintessentially New Brunswick, snack that you can pick up across the province (and, I'm told, sometimes outside of it as well). They come in a variety of flavours and are made from NB potatoes. Their factory is also located in Heartland, home of NB's most famous covered bridge.